People seem to have a universal urge to personalize their belongings. Such personalization typically takes the form of their name or initials, an affiliation with a particular group, their support of a cause, organization, sports team, etc., or a favorite pet. Automobiles or other vehicles belonging to such people are no exception.
So-called vanity license plates have provided a range of possibilities for personalization. However, vanity plates allow only a limited number of characters (only seven letters, numbers, or symbols in New Hampshire) to be displayed and are available as a one-of-a-kind item on a first come, first served basis. Consequently, vanity places offer very limited possibilities for personalization.
Bumper stickers provide another way in which a person may display a desired message on his or her vehicle. However, bumper stickers suffer from several problems. First, they are often difficult to adhere well to the vehicle when being installed. Bumper stickers are generally paper or plastic and often the indicia printed thereupon fades when exposed to prolonged sunlight. They are also subject to removal or, worse, partial removal when the vehicle is washed. Once installed, they are often difficult or impossible to remove from the vehicle without damage to the vehicle finish. Providing a bumper sticker with a truly personalized message requires special equipment not readily available to an automobile owner.
Another way such customization may be accomplished is by using a customized license plate frame to hold and secure the license plate of the vehicle. Many off-the-shelf frames bearing catch phrases such as “I'd Rather Be Golfing”, “My Other Car is a Broom”, or custom license plate frames displaying indicia advertising a car dealership are well known.
While such license plate frames may fill the needs of a certain percentage of the population, those truly driven by the customization urge are not satisfied with such solutions. No provision is made for customization at the whim of a particular automobile owner. Consequently, while these particular types of frames may provide slogans or advertising, they do little to fill the need for true personalization or customization.